SubscribeHaiti needs our prayers, our help
The devastating earthquake in Haiti’s capital claimed thousands of lives, left thousands wounded and homeless, and collapsed buildings and hopes. It is heartbreaking to see this poverty-stricken island nation once again struck by natural disaster.
Hurricanes, food crises and tropical storms have buffeted the Caribbean nation in recent years, each time leaving it worse off than before. And Tuesday the quake in Port-au-Prince with a magnitude of 7.0 begged the questions of why and how much can one small, acutely impoverished place bear? Why in Haiti where 80 percent of the nation’s nearly nine million people live below the poverty line? What’s going to happen now in Port-au-Prince, which was about 10 miles from the center of the quake, and where two million people lived?
But rather than dwelling on such queries, now is the time for offering prayers and providing help.
I traveled to Haiti three decades ago and was struck by how palpable and painful poverty was there. I went there with an Atlanta missionary group and got a close-up look at the despair and overwhelming need. I visited orphanages, schools, churches and even took in a soccer game. I walked through the shantytowns of Port-au-Prince and enjoyed the lush view from the hills of Pétionville. I visited artists workshops, and soaked in the vivid colors used in paintings and marveled at the skill of woodcarvers. The longer I stayed the more I saw how creative and resilient people were there.
It’s going to take that resiliency and great faith for Haitians to overcome this. And they cannot do it alone. President Obama directed his administration “to respond with a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort ” to save lives. “The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States in the urgent effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble, and to deliver the humanitarian relief — the food, water and medicine — that Haitians will need in the coming days,” he said.
The president also urged citizens to contribute to the pressing humanitarian efforts as soon as possible. Already social networks, like Twitter, have raised thousands of dollars. Wyclef Jean, a Haitian-born hip-hop artist, and other celebrities are soliciting financial donations as well.
”I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse,” said Jean in a statement. “We must act now. … Haiti needs your prayers and support.”
Contribute what you can, as soon as you can. And pray for the people of Haiti.
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